Demonland

Melbourne was coasting towards a big victory with a lead of 39 points heading towards the end of the third quarter of its Round 15 game against North Melbourne and was lucky to avoid being overrun by the improving young Kangaroos. MELBOURNE 5.2.32 6.4.40 11.4.70 11.4.70 NORTH MELBOURNE 1.2.8 3.7.25 5.7.37 10.7.67 GOALS MELBOURNE Turner 2 Chandler Gawn McDonald Petty Pickett Rivers Sparrow van Rooyen NORTH MELBOURNE Zurhaar 4 Ford Sheezel 2 Davies-Uniacke Simpkin BEST MELBOURNE Viney May Rivers Gawn Sparrow Neal-Bullen NORTH MELBOURNE Davies-Uniacke Wardlaw Sheezel Zurhaar Phillips Simpkin THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B B. Howes, S. May, T. Rivers HB C. Salem, A. Tomlinson, J. McVee C A. Neal-Bullen, C. Oliver, C. Windsor HF K. Chandler, H. Petty, J. Van Rooyen F K. Pickett, B. Fritsch, E. Langdon FOLL M. Gawn J. Viney, T. Sparrow I/C J. Bowey, T. McDonald, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner SUB K. Brown EMG B. Laurie, T. Fullarton, T. Woewodin IN K. Brown, K. Tholstrup, A. Tomlinson OUT J. Billings (omitted), B. Laurie (omitted), C. Petracca (ribs/spleen) NORTH MELBOURNE B A. Corr, C. Comben, T. Pink HB J. Archer, H. Sheezel, L. McDonald C Z. Fisher, L. Davies-Uniacke, B. Scott HF T. Powell, B. Teakle, E. Ford F P. Curtis, N. Larkey, C. Zurhaar FOLL T. Xerri, G. Wardlaw, J. Simpkin I/C W. Fisher, L. Shiels, C. Taylor, D. Tucker SUB D. Stephens EMG Z. Duursma, R. Hardeman, C. Harvey IN J. Simpkin, D. Stephens OUT K. Dawson (suspension), J. Stephenson (omitted)

PLAYER VOTES 1 Max Gawn 16 1 Christian Petracca 16 3 Christian Salem 10 4 Xavier Lindsay 6 4 Jack Viney 6 6 Jack Bowey 3 6 Tom Sparrow 3 8 Clayton Oliver 2 9 Tom McDonald 1

Simon Goodwin’s plan for his team’s opening clash at the MCG was a bold and ambitious one. In the end, it came agonisingly close to achieving a win against a leading contender for the 2025 premiership. In the normal course, a team that introduces five first gamers and one playing his first for the club would not be in the race, but Melbourne’s performance at the MCG yesterday was almost as close as 53 seconds and a straight kick away. In the final analysis, the result of the see saw game was determined by which player from the respective clubs managed to nail their team’s last shot at goal in the dying moments. The five newbies who started the game all had an impact, four of them — Matthew Jefferson (two), Jack Henderson, Aidan Johnson and Harry Sharp, hit the goal kicking board — the former scoring in the first sixteen seconds (a record). The other, Xavier Lindsay was outstanding on debut with his clean disposal of the football earning him 22 touches and accolades from all and sundry. The other debutant, Harvey Langford was the substitute, came on at the last break and was in the mix with five disposals in the final term. The bold plan won a big tick but it still relied on the team’s experienced hands to provide a winning dividend in wet conditions not conducive to big scoring from key forwards. As expected, Max Gawn (46 hit outs, 24 disposals) and Jack Viney (27 possessions) led from the front and continued on with their leadership roles of the current era and were joined by the club’s rejuvenated midfield superstars Christian Petracca (27 touches and four clearances) and Clayton Oliver (25 disposals and five clearances) showing they had mended their injury and off field woes of last year. Petracca was electric with his bursts out of the centre square into the 50 metre arc time and he was instrumental in the team’s scoring thrusts in each of the three opening quarters and his two team-lifters in the second term were outstanding. Melbourne moved out to a game high 17 point lead in the latter part of the third quarter by applying great pressure on the Giants in the midfield and had their chances to go further ahead before two of the opposing teams veterans in Toby Greene and Stephen Coniglio. Their composure in front of goal steadied the ship and helped the Giants to a third consecutive victory over the Demons by three points or less. The difference could well have been attributed to the fact that GWS had the benefit of participating in Round Zero. It was a pity that the game was played in front of a paltry crowd of 23,278, a combination of fixturing against the Grand Prix, the inclement weather and the mid Sunday afternoon game time. Next week, the Demons return to the same time schedule with coach Goodwin hoping for a winning outcome for his bold plan. MELBOURNE 2.2.14 5.4.34 10.6.66 11.8.74 GWS GIANTS 3.1.19 6.5.41 8.7.55 11.11.77 GOALS MELBOURNE Jefferson Petracca 2 Bowey Henderson Johnson Sharp Sparrow van Rooyen Windsor GWS GIANTS Coniglio Greene 3 Cadman 2 Green Keefe Wehr BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Petracca Viney Salem Oliver Langdon GWS GIANTS Coniglio Whitfield Greene Green Callaghan LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Steven May replaced in the selected side by Tom McDonald GWS GIANTS Nil INJURED MELBOURNE Nil GWS GIANTS Daniels (hip) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil GWS GIANTS Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Harvey Langford (replaced Blake Howes in the fourth quarter) GWS GIANTS Max Gruzewski (replaced Brent Daniels in the third quarter) UMPIRES Jeff Dalgleish, Matt Stevic, Brent Wallace, Matthew Young CROWD 23,278 at the MCG

NO CHAT ROOM AT THE MOMENT SO POST HERE

Podcast is LIVE!!!!

Going to cut the questions off here. We now have more than enough to yap on about tonight? Hopefully my equipment doesn't fail me.

Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Dees?

Technically equal record.

We put the names of everyone who votes (and votes properly 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) into a random generator on the internet and it spits out 3 names each week and we collate those each week to produce the winner. Probably more accurate than the Brownlow despite a midfielder almost always winning it.

After a disappoint first round 3 point loss the Giants the Demons head across town to take on the up and coming North Melbourne Kangaroos in a big for both teams to notch up their first wins of the season at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. Who comes in and who goes out for the Demons?

Join us LIVE on Monday night at 7:30pm as we break down the 3 points loss to the Giants in Round 1. As always, your questions are a vital part of the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

A new season begins and current day players Clayton Oliver, Max Gawn, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney are looking to add to their 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Demonland Player of the Year Honours. Or will a new Champion be crowned in 2025. Your 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1 votes from the 3 point loss to GWS. YEAR PLAYER 2001 Adem Yze 2002 Adem Yze 2003 Clint Bizzell 2004 Jeff White 2005 Travis Johnstone 2006 Cameron Bruce 2007 Nathan Jones 2008 Brad Green 2009 Aaron Davey 2010 James Frawley 2011 Jack Trengove 2012 Nathan Jones 2013 Nathan Jones 2014 Nathan Jones 2015 Jack Viney 2016 Max Gawn 2017 Clayton Oliver 2018 Clayton Oliver 2019 Max Gawn 2020 Christian Petracca 2021 Clayton Oliver 2022 Clayton Oliver 2023 Christian Petracca 2024 Max Gawn

The Demons unveiled six debutants for their Round 1 clash at the MCG. Battling fiercely in wet conditions, they held strong throughout the game but surrendered the lead in the final minute, falling short by three points.